Bill Maher Reignites Gun Control Debate With CMA Awards Joke

Controversial comedian and talk show host Bill Maher has upset country music fans and sparked chatter on both sides of the gun control debate.

During the New Rules segment of last week’s 'Real Time With Bill Maher,' the host joked that conservatives were planning a mass shooting at the CMA Awards in response to the mass gay wedding that took place at the Grammys last month.

“Now that liberals have forwarded their agenda by inserting a mass gay wedding into the Grammys, conservatives must match them tit-for-tat by having a mass shooting at the Country Music Awards," Maher said during the HBO show.

The quip comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with Maher or his show, as he's a frequent advocate for gun control. Reaction this time was swift and passionate -- and often profane. Fans on both sides of the issued battled in the comments section beneath posts on Huffington Post and Politico.

A photoshopped picture of Carrie Underwood was used at the punchline of Maher's joke. During the same segment, he also took aim at 'Duck Dynasty' star Willie Robertson's signature red, white and blue bandana.

“Somehow everybody is cool with this 1840s gold prospector sweating goose grease into the stars and stripes,” he said.